JP7430968B2 - automatic guided vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic guided vehicle.

In recent years, there has been an increasing need in the manufacturing industry to take measures to compensate for labor shortages in preparation for the coming aging society. For example, as a means of efficiently transporting completed vehicles such as automobiles mass-produced at a factory to a predetermined location such as a shipping location, multiple completed vehicles are loaded in a loading container such as a container, and the said loading container is A commonly used method is to transport the container by land using a transport vehicle such as a truck to a port near the destination, then transfer the loaded container to a transport vessel and transport it by water to the destination (for example, Patent Document 1).

Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, a transportation vehicle that is driven by an unmanned and automatically driven tow vehicle towing a plurality of trolleys and travels on a predetermined route within a limited area transports a completed vehicle to be transported. A system has been proposed in which the device is loaded on a trolley and transported to the destination.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-123258 JP 2019-36036 Publication

By the way, when transporting completed vehicles, after the completed vehicles are lined up in a factory yard and transported to a predetermined transshipment yard, the finished vehicles are unloaded for transshipment and then rearranged in line at the transshipment yard. The need may arise. At this time, in each yard, in order to efficiently wait as many completed vehicles as possible in a limited space, a large number of completed vehicles are arranged in a dense line, and completed vehicles that are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of the car body are The interval or interval between completed vehicles adjacent to each other in the width direction of the vehicle body is very small. For example, with the transportation means described in Patent Document 1, in order to unload cargo within a yard, the yard requires a parking space for transportation trucks, a parking space for containers, and an unloading space for completed vehicles. However, since transportation trucks and containers are extremely large, if a parking space is provided for each truck in addition to an unloading space, the number of completed vehicles that can stand by must be reduced accordingly. Therefore, unloading within the yard is actually difficult. In addition, if transport trucks are stopped at a location far from the yard to load and unload completed vehicles, workers must drive the completed vehicles one by one between each yard and the truck. It takes time and effort. This requires a lot of time to load and unload the finished vehicle.

For example, in the transportation method described in Patent Document 2, an unmanned guided vehicle tows and transports a plurality of carts loaded with completed vehicles and connected to each other. In addition, parking spaces for multiple trolleys are required. However, in this case as well, if each parking space is provided in addition to the unloading space, the number of completed vehicles that can wait must be reduced by that amount, which makes unloading within the yard practically difficult. Furthermore, in this case as well, it is necessary to load and unload the completed vehicles at a location distant from each yard, which results in the labor and effort of the worker to move all the completed vehicles between the trolley and the yard. In this case, as in Patent Document 1, it takes a lot of time to load and unload the completed vehicle.

The above-mentioned problems are not limited to vehicles, and can similarly occur, for example, when transporting a pre-mounted vehicle that does not have an open cargo bed or a box-like cargo space of a light truck.

In view of the above circumstances, the technical problem to be solved in this specification is to enable loading and unloading of vehicles within a yard, thereby enabling efficient transportation of a large number of vehicles in a short time.

The above-mentioned problem is solved by the automatic guided vehicle of the present invention. In other words, this automatic guided vehicle includes three or more wheels, a power supply section that applies power to a portion of the three or more wheels, and a mounting section on which the vehicle can be mounted. , two drive wheels that are rotatably driven by power being applied to the power application part, and one or more auxiliary wheels, which enable automatic driving with steering by controlling the drive wheels and the power application part. , the maximum height of the auxiliary wheel and the rotation support mechanism for the auxiliary wheel are both lower than the minimum height of the peripheral edge of the vehicle body.

As described above, since the automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention is provided with an automatic traveling function accompanied by steering, the vehicle can be transported unmanned. Furthermore, since the automatic guided vehicle can be run unmanned, it is possible to downsize the automatic guided vehicle by the size of the cabin that conventional transportation vehicles have. Moreover, in the automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention, two of the three or more wheels are used as driving wheels, and the remaining wheels are used as auxiliary wheels. If there are two drive wheels, the structure related to driving can be simplified compared to a conventional transport vehicle with four drive wheels, and the size of the automatic transport vehicle can be reduced accordingly. Therefore, the space required for unloading can be reduced. Furthermore, in the automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention, the maximum height of the auxiliary wheels and the rotational support mechanism for the auxiliary wheels are both lower than the minimum height of the peripheral edge of the vehicle body. Thus, when unloading a vehicle in a yard, the auxiliary wheels and their rotational support mechanism can be inserted under another vehicle already arranged around the unloading space. This allows the automated guided vehicle to be moved as close as possible to the vehicles surrounding the unloading space, thereby reducing the space required for unloading and making it easier to unload vehicles within the yard. This makes it possible to carry out the process smoothly. Of course, for the same reason, the space required for mounting the vehicle can be reduced and the vehicle can be smoothly mounted within the yard. In addition, the presence of the auxiliary wheels makes it possible to stabilize the posture during running, which is a problem with two-wheel drive, especially when running without a vehicle mounted on the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to increase the speed when the vehicle is traveling with no cargo, so the time required for the vehicle to return to the location from which the vehicle was transported after being transported can be shortened. Of course, auxiliary wheels can be more easily miniaturized than drive wheels, so there is no risk of affecting the overall size of the automatic guided vehicle. As described above, according to the automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention, it is possible to transport vehicles efficiently.

Furthermore, in the automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention, the one or more auxiliary wheels may be disposed on the front side of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body with respect to the vehicle body when the vehicle is mounted on the mounting portion. good.

In this way, by arranging one or more auxiliary wheels closer to the front of the vehicle than the two driving wheels, it is possible to bring the automated guided vehicle as close as possible to the adjacent vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Since it can be moved, the space required for unloading can be further expanded in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. Normally, loading onto or unloading from the mounting part of a vehicle is performed by moving the vehicle in the longitudinal direction relative to the mounting part, so by providing the training wheels at the above-mentioned positions, The attitude of the automated guided vehicle during vehicle loading or unloading can be further stabilized, allowing stable and smooth loading or unloading. In addition, when running with a vehicle mounted, the direction of forward movement is mainly in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, so by arranging the auxiliary wheels further forward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle than the two drive wheels, it is possible to It becomes possible to maintain good balance.

In addition, in the automatic guided vehicle according to the present invention, the rotation support mechanism for the auxiliary wheel includes a rotating shaft that passes through the center of the auxiliary wheel and rotates integrally with the auxiliary wheel, and a rotating shaft that rotates integrally with the auxiliary wheel. It has a radial bearing that supports the radial bearing so as to be rotatable around the horizontal axis, and a thrust bearing that supports the radial bearing so that it can rotate around the vertical axis. A bearing may be provided.

By rotatably supporting the auxiliary wheel with the radial bearing and the thrust bearing in this way, the auxiliary wheel can be rotationally supported around the horizontal axis and around the vertical axis, so the auxiliary wheel can function as a free wheel. can. In addition, by making the thrust bearing annular and arranging the auxiliary wheel and radial bearing on the radially inner side of the annular thrust bearing, the maximum height of the auxiliary wheel rotation support mechanism can be increased from that of conventional rotation support mechanisms (for example, caster type). (the maximum height dimension of the auxiliary wheel rotation support mechanism). Furthermore, the maximum height of the auxiliary wheel can be set regardless of the maximum height of the rotation support mechanism. This makes it possible to set the outer diameter of the rotational auxiliary wheels as large as possible without contacting the periphery of the vehicle body, increasing the durability of the auxiliary wheels and making it easier to drive with the vehicle mounted. It is possible to provide sufficient resistance to

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to load and unload vehicles within a yard, thereby making it possible to efficiently transport a large number of vehicles in a short time.

1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an automatic transportation system for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the automatic guided vehicle shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts of the automatic guided vehicle taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of the automatic guided vehicle taken along the line BB in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view of a state in which a vehicle is mounted on the automatic guided vehicle shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of unloading a vehicle using the automatic transport system shown in FIG. 1, and shows a state in which an automatic transport vehicle carrying a vehicle is moving toward a predetermined position in a yard FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of unloading a vehicle using the automatic transport system shown in FIG. 1, and is a diagram showing a state in which an automatic transport vehicle carrying a vehicle has stopped at a predetermined position in a yard. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of unloading a vehicle using the automatic transport system shown in FIG. 1, and is a diagram showing a state in which a completed vehicle is unloaded from an automatic transport vehicle. FIG. FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view of the front end portion and its surroundings of the automatic guided vehicle in the state shown in FIG. 8; FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the attitude of the drive wheels of the automatic guided vehicle shown in FIG. 1 after unloading. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of unloading of a vehicle using the automatic transport system shown in FIG. 1, and is a diagram for explaining the operation of the automatic transport vehicle after unloading. FIG.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The details of an automatic transportation system for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of an automatic transportation system for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic transport system 10 according to the present embodiment includes an automatic transport vehicle 11, a reception unit 12 of a satellite positioning system, a detection unit 13 that detects spatial information around the automatic transport vehicle 11, A control unit 14 that controls driving of the automatic guided vehicle 11 is provided. The details of each element will be described below, focusing on the configuration of the automatic guided vehicle 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, the automatic guided vehicle 11 includes two driving wheels 15, a power applying section 16 that applies power to each driving wheel 15, and a mounting section 17 on which the vehicle 1 can be mounted. In this embodiment, the mounting section 17 can mount only one of the front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3 (see FIG. 5 described later) of the vehicle 1 (here, the front wheel 2, which is the driving side wheel). It is composed of Each drive wheel 15 is housed in a casing 18, respectively. Further, these two casings 18 are connected to each other by a connecting portion 19. In this case, the mounting portions 17 are provided at predetermined positions in the width direction on the connecting portion 19, that is, at two positions in the width direction corresponding to the front wheels 2 of the vehicle 1 to be mounted. Therefore, in this case, the mounting portion 17 is disposed between the two drive wheels 15. In other words, the mounting portion 17 is disposed at a position overlapping the two drive wheels 15 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body (see FIG. 5, which will be described later). Note that the width direction here means a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body when the vehicle 1 is mounted, and corresponds to the direction in which the two drive wheels 15 are separated from each other in the case of the automatic guided vehicle 11. . Furthermore, the vehicle 1 referred to here includes not only a completed vehicle that is ultimately available for purchase by consumers, but also a mass-produced vehicle that does not have an open cargo bed or a box-shaped cargo compartment of a light truck. In other words, it includes vehicles that have not been mounted (vehicles before mounting).

Next, details of the drive wheels 15 will be explained. In this embodiment, the two driving wheels 15 each include two wheels 20 arranged in parallel with each other, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Each wheel 20 is configured to be rotatable independently of each other, and is rotatably supported by a rotating shaft 21 disposed between the wheels 20. The rotating shaft 21 is arranged so that its longitudinal direction coincides with the vertical direction when the automatic guided vehicle 11 is running, so that, for example, by rotating the two wheels 20 in opposite directions, or By rotating only one wheel 20, the drive wheel 15 having two wheels 20 rotates around the rotation axis 21, and the automatic guided vehicle 11 can be steered (a steering angle cannot be given). can). In this embodiment, the two wheels 20 (drive wheels 15) are rotatable 360 degrees around the rotation axis 21, so for example, as shown in FIG. By rotating each of the wheels 20) while rotating them by 90 degrees, it becomes possible to move the automatic guided vehicle 11 in its width direction.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the power applying unit 16 is provided in the same number as the wheels 20, and includes a plurality of in-wheel motors 22 that apply rotational driving force to each wheel 20. Each in-wheel motor 22 has a stator 23 and a rotor 24. In this case, the stator 23 is fixed to the rotating shaft 21 and the rotor 24 is connected to the wheel 25 of the wheel 20. Thereby, by rotationally driving the in-wheel motor 22 and rotating the rotor 24, the wheels 25 and tires 26 connected to the rotor 24 can rotate together with the rotor 24. Furthermore, as will be described later, each in-wheel motor 22 can be electrically controlled independently, so by configuring the power applying section 16 as described above, two wheels arranged in parallel can be controlled independently. 20 can be independently rotated, and the drive wheels 15 can also be independently rotated around the vertical axis and rotated around the horizontal axis.

The automatic guided vehicle 11 has one or more auxiliary wheels 27. In this embodiment, two auxiliary wheels 27 are provided on the automatic guided vehicle 11. Furthermore, these two auxiliary wheels 27 are arranged apart from each other in the width direction of the automatic guided vehicle 11, and are located on the front side of the vehicle 1 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1 (in FIG. (downward). Therefore, in this case, the two auxiliary wheels 27 are located closer to the front of the vehicle body of the automatic guided vehicle 11 than the mounting portion 17 is. To be more specific, a plate-shaped support part 28 is extended and provided on the front side of the vehicle body of the connection part 19, and two auxiliary wheels 27 and a rotation support mechanism 29 for each auxiliary wheel 27 are provided at predetermined positions of the support part 28. It is arranged.

Here, the rotation support mechanism 29 of the auxiliary wheel 27 is configured to rotatably support the auxiliary wheel 27 around the horizontal axis and around the vertical axis, and for example, as shown in FIG. It has a rotating shaft 30 that rotates integrally with the auxiliary wheel 27, a radial bearing 31 that rotatably supports the rotating shaft 30 around a horizontal axis, and a thrust bearing 32 that rotatably supports the radial bearing 31 around a vertical axis. .

In this embodiment, the radial bearing 31 is fixed to a plate-shaped support plate 33, and the auxiliary wheel 27 is rotatably held by the support plate 33 around a horizontal axis. Further, the first bearing ring 32a of the thrust bearing 32 is mounted on the outermost diameter portion 33a of the support plate 33, and the bearing mounting portion 28a of the support portion 28 on the main body side of the automatic guided vehicle 11 is provided with a thrust bearing 32a. The thrust bearing 32 is configured by attaching the second bearing ring 32b of the bearing 32 and disposing a plurality of rolling elements 32c between the first and second bearing rings 32a and 32b. As a result, the auxiliary wheel 27 and the rotation shaft 30 can rotate together around the horizontal axis, and the auxiliary wheel 27, the rotation shaft 30, the radial bearing 31, and the support plate 33 can rotate together around the vertical axis. It is said that In this case, the auxiliary wheel 27 and the radial bearing 31 are located inside the thrust bearing 32 in the radial direction. The maximum height dimension H1 of the rotation support mechanism 29 is smaller than the maximum height dimension H2 of the auxiliary wheel 27 even when the bearing attachment part 28a of the support part 28 is included. Further, the maximum height dimension H2 of the auxiliary wheels 27 is the minimum height of the vehicle body peripheral portion 1a of the vehicle 1 (or another vehicle 1' that has already been unloaded into the yard 40, as shown in FIG. 8, which will be described later). It is set to be lower than the dimension H3.

The mounting portion 17 can have any configuration as long as it can hold the wheels (here, the front wheels 2) of the vehicle 1 to be mounted. For example, in the illustrated example, the wheel chock 34 is provided on the front side of the vehicle body of the mounting portion 17, and restricts the movement of the front wheel 2 of the vehicle 1 mounted from the rear side of the vehicle body of the automatic guided vehicle 11 toward the front side of the vehicle body. , aiming at positioning in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. Although illustration is omitted, when the front wheel 2 is not mounted, the front wheel 2 is positioned downward to allow movement onto the mounting portion 17, and the front wheel 2 is mounted at a predetermined position on the mounting portion 17. In this state, a movable restriction portion may be provided that is located relatively above and restricts movement of the front wheel 2 toward the rear of the vehicle body. Of course, once the front wheel 2 is mounted at a predetermined position on the mounting portion 17, the operator may place a wheel chock on the rear side of the front wheel 2.

The receiving unit 12 of the satellite positioning system is installed at the tip of a pole 35 for smooth communication with a satellite (positioning satellite) for a satellite positioning system such as GPS, for example, to prevent the influence of the mounted vehicle 1 on communication. It is best to take this into consideration and install it at an appropriate height.

The detection unit 13 includes an object detection device 36 such as an optical sensor, and a camera 37. In this embodiment, two left and right object detection devices 36 and a camera 37 are provided on the front side of the automatic guided vehicle 11, respectively. Note that the configuration of the detection unit 13 is merely an example, and the type, number, arrangement, etc. of the elements constituting the detection unit 13 can be arbitrarily set as necessary.

The control unit 14 controls the two drive wheels 15 and the power application unit 16 to enable automatic travel accompanied by steering of the automatic guided vehicle 11. In the present embodiment, the control unit 14 controls the drive wheels 15 and the power applying unit 16 of a plurality of automatic guided vehicles 11 (only one automatic guided vehicle 11 is shown in FIG. 1). , each automatic guided vehicle 11 is capable of automatic travel accompanied by steering. In this case, the control unit 14 controls the drive wheels 15 and the power applying unit 16 of each automatic guided vehicle 11 based on the content of communication between the overall control unit 38 and the integrated control unit 38 provided in each automatic guided vehicle 11. and a terminal control section 39. Each terminal control unit 39 receives a command from the general control unit 38, the position information of the corresponding automatic guided vehicle 11 obtained by the satellite positioning system through the receiving unit 12, and the corresponding automated guided vehicle 11 obtained by the detection unit 13. By controlling the drive wheels 15 and power applying section 16 of the corresponding automatic guided vehicle 11 based on the spatial information around the vehicle 11, automatic travel accompanied by steering of each automatic guided vehicle 11 is enabled.

Next, an example of the operation of the automatic transport system 10 equipped with the automatic transport vehicle 11 having the above configuration will be described mainly based on FIGS. 5 to 11.

First, the overall control unit 38 sends a command to a predetermined automatic guided vehicle 11 and starts the loading operation of the vehicle 1 by the automatic guided vehicle 11. After receiving the command, the automatic guided vehicle 11 controls the driving wheels 15 and the power applying unit 16 by the terminal control unit 39, and moves toward the vehicles 1 arranged in a line in a transport source area (for example, a factory yard), not shown. Then, the vehicle stops at a position adjacent to the front side of the vehicle body of one of the front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3 (here, the front wheels 2). Thereafter, the front wheels 2 of the vehicle 1 are mounted on the mounting section 17 of the automatic guided vehicle 11. In this embodiment, as the vehicle 1 moves forward, the front wheels 2 are moved onto the connecting portion 19 of the automatic guided vehicle 11. As a result, the front wheels 2 of the vehicle 1 are mounted on the mounting portion 17 disposed at a predetermined position in the width direction on the connecting portion 19, and the rear wheels 3 of the vehicle 1 are brought into contact with the ground (see FIG. 5). ). In this state, all wheels (two driving wheels 15 and two auxiliary wheels 27) of automatic guided vehicle 11 are in contact with the ground.

Next, the automatic guided vehicle 11 starts moving toward a destination (for example, a transshipment yard at a port) with a portion of the vehicle 1 (front wheels 2) mounted thereon. During this period, the terminal control unit 39 uses the position information of the automatic guided vehicle 11 obtained by the satellite positioning system through the receiving unit 12 and the automatic guided vehicle 11 obtained by the detection unit 13 (object detection device 36, camera 37). This is automatically performed by controlling the drive wheels 15 and the power applying unit 16 of the automatic guided vehicle 11 based on spatial information around the automatic guided vehicle 11 .

When the automatic guided vehicle 11 loaded with the vehicle 1 arrives at the destination, it is then moved to a predetermined position within the destination, here, as shown in FIG. The vehicle 1 is transported toward the unloading space P1). Here, a part of the vehicle 1 is located at a position overlapping the automatic guided vehicle 11 when viewed from above. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, for example, the vehicle 1 is stopped at the front side of the vehicle body by an amount that overlaps with the position where the load should be unloaded (a position that completely overlaps with the unloading space P1). Then, the vehicle 1 is moved backward from this state, and the front wheels 2 of the vehicle 1 are lowered from above the mounting portion 17 to the ground (the state shown in FIG. 8). This completes the unloading of the vehicle 1 into the unloading space P1.

Furthermore, during the above-described operation, the automatic guided vehicle 11 is stopped on the front side of the vehicle body rather than the unloading space P1. Here, as shown in FIG. 9, the maximum height dimensions H1 and H2 of the auxiliary wheels 27 disposed on the front side of the vehicle body of the automatic guided vehicle 11 and the rotation support mechanism 29 of the auxiliary wheels 27 are already within the yard 40. It is set to be lower than the minimum height dimension H3 of the vehicle body peripheral portion 1a (here, the rear end portion) of the vehicle 1' being unloaded therein. Therefore, even if the auxiliary wheels 27 and the rotational support mechanism 29 stop at a position overlapping the vehicle 1' in a plan view, there is a risk that the auxiliary wheels 27 and the rotational support mechanism 29 will interfere with the vehicle 1'. That's not it.

After the unloading is completed in this way, the automatic guided vehicle 11 receives an instruction from the operator (some operation using a switch or the like) or detects by itself a decrease in the load acting on the loading section 17, Begin evacuation from inside yard 40. As in this embodiment, when there are a plurality of vehicles 1' that have already been unloaded in the yard 40 around the unloading space P1, these vehicles 1' are moved in a predetermined direction in the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the vehicle body. They are arranged in a row at intervals (see FIG. 6, etc.). Therefore, in the state where the automatic guided vehicle 11 has finished unloading, the two drive wheels 15 are both rotated 90 degrees around the rotation axis 21 (see FIG. 10). Thereafter, the driving wheels 15 are driven to rotate, and the automated guided vehicle 11 starts moving in the width direction while maintaining the unloading posture (see FIG. 11).

In addition, when each wheel 20 is independently driven by the in-wheel motor 22 like this embodiment, the rotation of the drive wheel 15 mentioned above is carried out by rotating in mutually opposite directions, or only one wheel 20 is rotationally driven. This makes it possible.

The automated guided vehicle 11 is evacuated from the yard 40 in the above manner. The evacuated automatic guided vehicle 11 automatically travels with steering in an unloaded state (with no vehicle 1 mounted thereon) and returns to the location from which it was transported. Since the vehicle travels with the two drive wheels 15 and the auxiliary wheels 27 in contact with the ground, stable continuous travel is possible regardless of the vehicle's posture during travel. By repeating the series of operations described above, the vehicles 1 that have been repeated the number of times are automatically transported toward the destination. Furthermore, by causing the other automatic guided vehicles 11 to perform the above-described series of operations simultaneously or sequentially, the same number of vehicles 1 as the used automatic guided vehicles 11 can be automatically transported to the destination one after another. Ru. In this case, control of the plurality of automatic guided vehicles 11 is performed by (wireless) communication between the terminal control section 39 provided in each automatic guided vehicle 11 and the overall control section 38.

As described above, according to the automatic transport vehicle 11 according to the present embodiment and the automatic transport system 10 using this automatic transport vehicle 11, since the automatic transport vehicle 11 is provided with an automatic driving function accompanied by steering, the vehicle 1 can be transported unmanned. Moreover, since the automatic guided vehicle 11 can be run unmanned, the automatic guided vehicle 11 can be made smaller by the size of the cabin that is present in conventional transportation vehicles. Furthermore, in the automatic guided vehicle 11 according to the present embodiment, two of the three or more wheels are the drive wheels 15, and the remaining wheels are the auxiliary wheels 27. If there are two drive wheels 15, the structure related to driving can be simplified compared to a conventional guided vehicle with four drive wheels, and the automatic guided vehicle 11 can be made smaller accordingly. . Therefore, the space required for unloading can be reduced. Further, in the automatic guided vehicle 11 according to the present embodiment, the maximum height dimensions H1 and H2 of the auxiliary wheels 27 and the rotation support mechanism 29 of the auxiliary wheels 27 are the lowest of the vehicle body peripheral portion 1a of the vehicle 1 (1'). Since the height dimension H3 is lower than the height dimension H3 (see FIG. 9), as described above, when unloading the vehicle 1 in the yard 40, the portion having the auxiliary wheel 27 and its rotation support mechanism 29 It is possible to sneak into the lower part (lower rear end in FIG. 9) of another vehicle 1' already arranged around the unloading space P1. As a result, the automatic guided vehicle 11 can be moved to a position as close as possible to the vehicles 1' around the unloading space P1, so that the space required for unloading can be reduced and the space within the yard 40 can be reduced. It becomes possible to unload the vehicle 1 smoothly. Of course, for the same reason, the space required for mounting the vehicle 1 can be reduced and the vehicle 1 can be smoothly mounted within a yard (not shown). In addition, the provision of the auxiliary wheels 27 also improves the posture of the automatic guided vehicle 11 when it is running, which is a problem in the case of two-wheel drive, especially when the vehicle 11 is not mounted on the vehicle (see FIG. 11). It can be stabilized. This makes it possible to increase the speed during unloaded travel, thereby shortening the time required for the vehicle 1 to return to the location from which it was transported after being transported. Of course, since the auxiliary wheels 27 can be more easily miniaturized than the drive wheels 15, there is no risk of affecting the overall size of the automatic guided vehicle 11. As described above, according to the automatic guided vehicle 11 according to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently transport the vehicle 1 including loading and unloading.

Furthermore, as in the present embodiment, by arranging one or more auxiliary wheels 27 on the front side of the vehicle 1 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body than the two driving wheels 15, the vehicle 1' adjacent to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 1' It is possible to move the automatic guided vehicle 11 as close as possible to the vehicle 1', or even to a position where a part of the automatic guided vehicle 11 (auxiliary wheels 27 and rotation support mechanism 29) is hidden under the vehicle 1'. Therefore, the space required for unloading can be further increased in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. Of course, as mentioned above, when unloading work is performed by moving (backing up) the vehicle 1 toward the unloading space P1, by providing the auxiliary wheels 27 on the front side of the vehicle body of the automatic guided vehicle 11, The attitude of the automatic guided vehicle 11 when unloading the vehicle 1 can be further stabilized. In addition, when the vehicle 1 is mounted on the vehicle, the front and back directions of the vehicle mainly move forward. It also becomes possible to maintain good balance while driving.

Further, as in this embodiment, the auxiliary wheel is rotatably supported by the radial bearing 31 and the thrust bearing 32, and the thrust bearing 32 is formed into an annular shape, and the auxiliary wheel 27 and the radial bearing 31 are arranged inside the radial direction. The maximum height dimension H2 of these auxiliary wheels 27 can be easily made smaller than the maximum height dimension H1 of the rotation support mechanism 29 of the auxiliary wheels 27. As a result, the outer diameter dimension (that is, the maximum height dimension H2) of the auxiliary wheel 27 can be made as large as possible, so the durability of the auxiliary wheel 27 can be increased, and it can be sufficiently It is possible to provide resistance.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the automatic conveyance vehicle and automatic conveyance system according to the present invention can also adopt configurations other than the above without departing from the spirit thereof.

For example, in the above embodiment, the rotation support mechanism 29 for the auxiliary wheel 27 is configured such that its maximum height dimension H1 is smaller than the maximum height dimension H2 of the auxiliary wheel 27. Not limited. As long as the maximum height dimensions H1 and H2 of the auxiliary wheels 27 and the rotational support mechanism 29 are both lower than the minimum height dimension of the vehicle body periphery of the vehicle 1 (1'), the respective maximum height dimensions H1 and H2 are The size relationship and the size of each dimension can be set arbitrarily.

Further, the configuration of the rotation support mechanism 29 can be arbitrarily set as long as the dimensions H1 and H2 are lower than the minimum height dimension of the peripheral edge of the vehicle body 1 (1').

Furthermore, in the above description, a configuration in which two auxiliary wheels 27 are disposed side by side in the width direction on one side of the automatic guided vehicle 11 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body has been exemplified, but the number and configuration of the auxiliary wheels 27 are arbitrary. . That is, although not shown in the drawings, one or three or more auxiliary wheels 27 may be arranged side by side in the width direction. Further, one or more auxiliary wheels 27 may be provided on both sides of the automatic guided vehicle 11 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. Alternatively, one or more auxiliary wheels 27 may be disposed on the outer side of the drive wheels 15 of the automatic guided vehicle 11 in the width direction.

In addition, when the automatic guided vehicle 11 is provided with a plurality of auxiliary wheels 27, the maximum height dimensions H1 and H2 of all the auxiliary wheels 27 and their rotation support mechanisms 29 are the lowest of the vehicle body periphery of the vehicle 1 (1'). It does not need to be set lower than the height dimension. In particular, only the auxiliary wheels 27 and their rotation support mechanisms 29, which are disposed in positions where interference with the adjacent vehicle 1 (1') is a concern, have maximum height dimensions H1 and H2 so as to satisfy the above-mentioned dimensional relationship. should be set.

Further, in the above embodiment, the terminal control unit 39 controls the drive wheels 15 and the power applying unit 16 of the automatic guided vehicle 11 in response to a command from the overall control unit 38, but for example, the overall control unit 38 This may be omitted and the automatic traveling of the automatic guided vehicle 11 may be controlled only by the terminal control unit 39. In this case, for example, a program related to automatic transportation involving loading and unloading is stored in advance in the terminal control unit 39, and the driving wheels 15 and the power applying unit 16 are driven and controlled based on the program by a predetermined operation by the operator. You may also do so.

Further, in the automatic transport system 10 shown in FIG. 1, a case has been exemplified in which only the front wheels 2 of the vehicle 1 can be mounted on the mounting section 17, but of course the present invention is not limited to this. For example, although not shown, it is also possible to configure only the rear wheel 3 of the front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3 of the vehicle 1 to be mountable on the mounting portion 17.

Further, in the above description, the case where each drive wheel 15 is constituted by two wheels 20 arranged in parallel is illustrated, but of course it is also possible to take a configuration other than this. As an example, a case where the drive wheel 15 is composed of one wheel 20 can be cited.

Further, in the above description, a case where a plurality of in-wheel motors 22 are provided as the power applying section 16 has been illustrated, but of course the present invention is not limited to this. As long as a predetermined power (rotational driving force) can be applied to the drive wheels 15, a drive source of any configuration can be provided in the automatic guided vehicle 11 as the power application section 16.

Furthermore, in the above explanation, the case where the automatic guided vehicle 11 can carry only the front wheels 2 or the rear wheels 3 of the vehicle 1 has been exemplified, but the present invention automatically transports parts other than the front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3. The present invention is not limited to a configuration in which the vehicle 1 is mounted in a non-contact state with the vehicle 11. If necessary, for example, when the automatic guided vehicle 11 is provided with a lift-up mechanism that raises a part of the vehicle 1, the lift-up mechanism supports the parts of the vehicle 1 other than the front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3 from below and lifts the vehicle 1. It is also possible to adopt a configuration that allows this. Of course, when the automatic guided vehicle 11 is provided with a lift-down mechanism, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the lift-down mechanism can lower the vehicle 1 while supporting parts other than the front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3 from below. Further, in this case, the lift-up mechanism may also serve as a lift-down mechanism.

1, 1' Vehicle 1a Vehicle body peripheral part 2 Front wheel 3 Rear wheel 10 Automatic transport system 11 Automatic transport vehicle 12 Receiving part 13 Detecting part 14 Control part 15 Drive wheel 16 Power applying part 17 Mounting part 19 Connecting part 20 Wheel 21 Rotating shaft 22 In-wheel motor 25 Wheel 26 Tire 27 Auxiliary wheel 28 Support section 29 Rotation support mechanism 30 Rotating shaft 31 Radial bearing 32 Thrust bearing 34 Wheel chock 35 Pole 36 Object detection device 37 Camera 38 General control section 39 Terminal control section 40 Yard P1 Unloading Space H1 Maximum height dimension of the rotation support mechanism H2 Maximum height dimension of the auxiliary wheel H3 Minimum height dimension of the vehicle body periphery of the completed vehicle

Claims (1)

three or more wheels,
a power applying unit that applies power to a portion of the three or more wheels;
Equipped with a mounting section on which a vehicle can be mounted,
The three or more wheels include two driving wheels that are rotationally driven by being powered by the power applying section, and one or more auxiliary wheels,
Automatic driving with steering is enabled by controlling the drive wheels and the power applying unit,
The auxiliary wheel is rotatably supported around a horizontal axis and around a vertical axis,
The maximum height dimension of the auxiliary wheel and the rotational support mechanism for the auxiliary wheel is lower than the minimum height dimension of the vehicle body periphery of the vehicle, and the maximum height dimension of the rotational support mechanism is the maximum height dimension of the auxiliary wheel. Automated transport vehicle for vehicles that are below the height dimension .

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